Rollins Magazine Winter 2023

More Brilliant Together

Celebrating the historic effort to invest in the people, programs, and places that make us shine brighter

BOLDER, BRIGHTER, DISTINCTLY ROLLINS

From this vantage, America’s most beautiful campus might not look all that different. That’s no mistake. After all, Brighter Together was designed not to reinvent Rollins but instead to build on more than 135 years of history and tradition. Throughout the course of this historic campaign, we have strengthened the things that have always made Rollins great—from our signature approach to liberal arts education to our commitment to educating students for global citizenship and responsible leadership. Thanks to your support, you see before you a Rollins that is better at delivering on its mission. You see a 21st-century campus that has been strategically designed to enhance interdisciplinary learning and valuable connections. You see both a Rollins that has leveled up in deep and meaningful ways and a college that will always feel like home.

DID YOU KNOW?

Even a cursory glance at Rollins confirms its permanent place among the nation’s most beautiful campuses. But take a closer look, and you’ll discover a 21st-century campus whose beauty runs deep. Turn to p. 23 to explore four purpose-built spaces that are powering experience and opportunity.

Thank You for Shining Your Light

Together, we have made Rollins brighter for generations to come.

Ever since stepping foot on campus as a freshman in fall 1966, I have been honored to be part of the Rollins family—a feeling that many of you share. With each passing year, that sense of pride grows deeper, especially as we celebrate important milestones in the College’s history. Today marks such an occasion.

Through the efforts of our Brighter Together campaign, we have raised more than $290 million to support the people, places, and programs that prepare our graduates to lead meaningful lives and thrive in productive careers. This success is a direct reflection of the care and excitement shown by you—our alumni, parents, trustees, and community partners.

Having served on the Board of Trustees for 33 years, I have seen time and again how investments in our college enhance the Rollins experience and directly impact lives. Because of your generosity, we are able to maintain small class sizes that support a personalized learning environment, provide greater access to academic and need-based scholarships, and construct state-of-the-art buildings that create opportunity, all of which leads to graduating well-rounded problem-solvers who are ready to tackle global issues and so much more.

Thank you for helping us make Rollins a leader in liberal arts education. Working together, I am confident that we are on the precipice of even more greatness.

Allan E. Keen ’70 ’71MBA ’10H Trustee and National Chairman Brighter Together Campaign

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Editor-in-Chief

Audrey St. Clair ’03

Creative Director

Tom May

Chief Photographer Scott Cook

Graphic Designer

Sarah Hall

Assistant Editor

Stephanie Rizzo ’09

Contributors

Laura J. Cole ’04 ’08 MLS

Rob Humphreys ’16 MBA

Zach Stovall

Assistant Vice President of Marketing

Luke Woodling ’17MBA

Produced by the Office of Marketing

All ideas expressed in Rollins magazine are those of the authors or the editors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the College. Letters to the editor are welcome and will be considered for publication in the magazine. Rollins magazine is published twice a year by Rollins College for alumni and friends of the College.

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A Conversation with THE PRESIDENT

A Vision Realized

President Grant Cornwell discusses why having the entire Rollins community rally around a shared vision was critical to the success of Brighter Together.

Brighter Together

was the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the College’s history. If you go back in time to when you accepted this post eight years ago, how did you know Rollins was ready for such a bold endeavor? One of the reasons I decided to come to Rollins is because it has really great bones. It has a rich history and a legacy of innovation. It boasts a wonderful geographic position that is rife with opportunity. And it was just full of tremendous assets, from people to programs to places. What I think it was missing eight years ago was strategic direction and a clear vision of how Rollins could realize its full potential.

When you arrived at Rollins, you deliberately engaged the entire college community in a strategic planning effort to establish that collective vision. Why was that democratic approach so important? Often, a failure of leadership is that a strategic vision for an organization is held by the president or the cabinet, but there’s no broader buy-in. That’s never going to work. The most powerful thing for a college like Rollins is for it to cultivate a shared sense of vision,

mission, and purpose. It’s essential for donors to share that vision, because, as I often say, a strategic plan without a financial plan is a work of fiction. It’s a bunch of great ideas, but there’s no way to realize them unless our alumni and donors invest in the vision of where Rollins is headed. One of the things that made this campaign so successful is that our donors have invested wholeheartedly in that vision. They have helped us fund our strategic priorities, and they are boldly moving Rollins forward.

Can you talk a little about the proceeds of that investment? If you look back to your first day at Rollins to where the College is today, how far have we come? I think we are making Rollins into one of the very best, most mission-driven liberal arts colleges in the nation. The fact that Rollins is now one of fewer than 300 colleges to house a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa is evidence of that. We have invested in faculty, who are now regularly recognized as the best in the South. We’ve bolstered scholarships and financial aid, making it possible for more students to pursue a Rollins education. We’ve built on our legacy of academic excellence and strengthened everything from the arts to athletics. We’ve created and elevated programs that arm our students with essential

experience—experience that will give them a competitive advantage as they launch their meaningful lives and productive careers. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that we’ve changed our position in the highereducation landscape and transformed Rollins into a top-choice school for more and more students. You can see proof of the progress we’ve made in the record number of applications we received each successive year for the past several and in the size and strength of the enrolling class of 2026, which is the largest class in the College’s history. As amazing as those things are, that’s really just scratching the surface of what we accomplished, and we’re going to continue to see the proceeds of this effort for years and decades to come.

What would you say to the alumni and donors who made this campaign such a success? Thank you, for starters. Thank you for buying into this vision of a more brilliant future for our students and our College, and thank you for your investment in that vision. Without your generosity, none of this is possible. Without you, we’d still be sitting here with a bunch of great ideas, but we’d have no means of acting on them. I hope everyone who joined this campaign is as proud as I am of all we’ve accomplished together because the results are nothing short of transformational.

Interview by Luke Woodling ’17MBA | Photo by Scott Cook

JUNE 10

Physics major Henri Balla ’22 worked alongside his mentor, physics professor Chris Fuse, through the Student-Faculty Collaborative Scholarship Program to gain insight into the origins of our solar system. The duo presented their findings at the American Astronomical Society Congress in Seattle in January of this year.

AUGUST 16

Rollins kicked off its 138th academic year by welcoming the largest incoming first-year class in the College’s history. After a full day of orientation events, new Tars got to know each other better while sharing a meal at campus dining favorite Dave’s Boathouse.

SEPTEMBER 19

Honorary trustee Barbara Alfond ’68 ’18H treated students from art history professor Kim Dennis’ Museum Practicum course to a special tour of the Rollins Museum of Art. She shared some of her favorite pieces from the contemporary art collection that bears her name as well as tips on curation as the class prepared to curate its own exhibition that will debut at the museum later this year.

OCTOBER 24

In one of the classrooms in Kathleen W. Rollins Hall, Tars in English professor Jana Mathews’ 300-level Globetrotters course engaged in a spirited roundtable discussion on the impact European migration to the Americas had on literature both domestically and across the pond from 1500 to 1800.

DECEMBER 8

Rollins celebrated 70 years of our beloved independent radio station WPRK with a block of programming highlighting the history of the station. Throughout the week, budding broadcasters took to the airwaves from the new state-of-the art studio located in Kathleen W. Rollins Hall.

DECEMBER 19

For the 12th consecutive year, Rollins received the NCAA Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence, which recognizes the College among the nation’s best at blending academic and athletic success. Rollins’ 95 percent academic success rate was No. 1 in the Sunshine State Conference and in the top 10 nationally.

Career Cachet

A dynamic drop-in space overseen by the Center for Career & Life Planning (CCLP), the Career Studio is a one-stop shop where students receive guidance on everything from resumes to job searches.

Staffed by highly trained graduate students and undergraduate career ambassadors, CCLP’s Career Studio is a vibrant hub of engineered collisions. Now prominently located at the center of campus in Kathleen W. Rollins Hall alongside nine other programs central to the Rollins mission, the studio connects students to an array of collaborative and targeted advice—whether it’s fine-tuning a resume, preparing for a job interview, polishing networking skills, or any number of related activities.

“The studio is an entryway, a bridge for an array of connections, but it is not the final destination,” says Denisa Metko, director of CCLP. “A student’s visit could easily become the spark to learn more about study abroad, volunteerism, or social entrepreneurship. Vice versa, a conversation at the Social Impact Hub or a visit to the Office of International Student & Scholar Services could encourage students to connect with CCLP about experiential learning and mentorship opportunities.”

When Kathleen W. Rollins Hall opened in January 2020, the Career Studio saw a 65 percent increase in participation during its first 40 days of operation. Today, as in-person engagement levels climb back toward pre-pandemic numbers, the studio is primed to help even more students successfully transition from college to career.

Active Guides

Applying a client-centric approach, student leaders serve as supportive pathfinders, sharing resources and opportunities that guide students through the reflection, idea generation, and exploration processes. The peer-to-peer advising model has further influenced the idea that career education is less intimidating and an everyday part of college life.

Acing the Interview

Alysia Rivers-Rodriguez ’21 leveraged the Career Studio to ace an interview with her current employer, Teach for America. “I was even able to find someone who had gone through the same program I was pursuing,” she says. “She gave me specialized advice regarding what the interviewers would be looking for and provided me with an insider’s perspective.”

By Rob Humphreys ’16MBA | Photos by Scott Cook

Making Connections

Themed drop-in hours help student groups engage with organizations and departments across campus to provide targeted resources. This includes Networking Nights, which feature alumni and recruiters from employer partners like Gartner, a global management consulting firm that utilized the Career Studio for its meet-and-greet in October.

A Personalized Approach

Daniel Kassis ’22, a regular visitor to the Career Studio, worked with peer mentors and CCLP staff to craft unique cover letters for each job application, which helped him land a position as a purchasing coordinator with AA Metals in Orlando. “I’m a very shy person sometimes,” he says, “but in the Career Studio, people always had time for me.”

WE ARE BRIGHTER

At Rollins, our history, our mission, and our vision for a brighter future are rooted in the knowledge that we can achieve anything when we work together. Perhaps more than anything else, it is this spirit of collective endeavor that defines us as Tars. Rollins, after all, is built on a human scale, and

everything from our signature brand of liberal arts education to our distinctive personalized learning environment is powered by relationships. We see this ethos of shared purpose play out every day across our tight-knit campus, in our discussion-based classrooms, and in service

to communities in our backyard and around the world.

It’s little wonder then that we’re here to celebrate the overwhelming success of Brighter Together, and it’s no surprise that thousands of you answered our call to join the most ambitious campaign in Rollins’ more than 135-year history. Throughout

As the sun sets on the largest fundraising campaign in the College’s history, we’re celebrating the collective impact of our community and exploring the many ways you have helped make Rollins more brilliant.

BRIGHTER TOGETHER

this momentous effort, you have contributed your time, your talent, and your treasure to help advance our innovative educational model to its fullest potential and invest in the people, programs, and places that prepare our graduates to lead meaningful lives and prosper in productive careers.

Over the course of the following two dozen pages, we’ll explore the impact of this collective effort through an array of lenses. First, we’ll calculate the scale of your generosity with a by-the-numbers

accounting of the successes you’ve made possible. Next, we’ll demonstrate the power of alumni volunteerism and witness how your guidance, expertise, and shared opportunities have transformed the trajectories of Rollins students and your fellow alumni. Then, we’ll investigate how several of the new and reimagined places on campus are enhancing our commitment to academic excellence, applied learning, and the opportunity for all deserving students to pursue a Rollins education. Finally, we’ll measure how your contributions

have been brought to light in the superlative accomplishments of our college, students, graduates, and faculty.

By the end, we hope you appreciate the awesome impact your actions have created in our community and in the lives of our students. We hope you realize the essential role you play in making Rollins one of the premier liberal arts institutions in the nation and in preparing our graduates to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Most of all, we hope you see that when Tars work together, we all shine brighter.

Brighter Together By the Numbers

It would be impossible to sum up the impact of Brighter Together into one neat number. After all, even $293 million— the record-setting amount raised during the campaign— doesn’t adequately articulate the progress that has already been made or the opportunity that it will create for future generations of Rollins students. So we took a deeper dive, slicing and dicing the data to reveal interesting insights into the scale and scope of what we’ve accomplished together.

Total funds raised, surpassing the campaign’s goal by more than $18 million

16,163

Total number of donors

8,256

Number of donors who made their first gift to Rollins through Brighter Together

56%

More than half of campaign gifts were $100 or less, and nearly 90 percent of gifts were $1,000 or less—proof that it doesn’t take a major gift to make a major impact.

Number of students who’ve conducted research through the Student-Faculty Collaborative Scholarship Program during the campaign

Roughly 1 out of every 5 Rollins alumni made a gift during the campaign.

10% Less Than

In 2022, Rollins became one of just 296 institutions to host a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the world’s most prestigious academic honor society. The honor—earned by less than 10 percent of U.S. colleges and universities—was made possible through the Rollins community’s commitment to advancing academic excellence through Brighter Together.

Support from All Levels Donors by Source

Students/Other 1% Corporations 2%

Parents 4%

Friends 13% Alumni 21%

Foundations 26%

Trustees 33%

Gifts That Keep Giving

Donors created a total of 68 endowments through Brighter Together that will power opportunity as well as excellence in everything from academics and teaching to arts and athletics for years to come.

45

20

3 scholarship endowments program endowments chair endowments

Global Giving

Antilles

Argentina

Aruba

Bahamas

Barbados

Bermuda

Brazil

Canada

Cayman Islands

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

Guatemala

Honduras

Jamaica

Mexico

Panama

Peru

Trinidad & Tobago

Venezuela

70 &

Donors from nearly all states countries 50

Bulgaria

Czech Republic

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Guyana

Jordan

Kenya

Kuwait

Luxembourg

Mauritius

Monaco

Morocco

Netherlands

Nigeria

Norway

Poland

Romania

Rwanda

Serbia

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Tanzania

Turkey

Turkmenistan

United Arab

Emirates

United Kingdom

Australia

China

India

Indonesia

Japan

Malaysia

New Zealand

Pakistan

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

Tuvalu

Vietnam

I’ve

How the bonds formed between Rollins students and alumni are jump-starting personal and professional success.

By Laura J. Cole ’04 ’08MLS | Photos by Scott Cook

Before his first day of work at the testing company Prometric, Nick Johnson ’20 had wrangled his way into an unlikely scenario: hitting the links with the chief operating officer and one of the vice presidents of the company.

“I was on that course because Will pushed me to,” says Johnson, referring to William Moore ’99, his mentor through Rollins’ Career Champions program and co-founder of Doorstep Delivery. “I wasn’t much of a golfer at the time, but Will told me I needed to make a splash and crack down on building those relationships because they’d pay dividends in the future. I knew they went golfing all the time, so I reached out and told them I’d be willing to meet up with them any day, anytime to play a round.”

Turns out, Moore was right. Johnson, who started out as a sales rep, was promoted to a sales manager within a year, and then promoted again only eight months later to global sales manager.

“That round of golf helped accelerate everything,” says Johnson. “We’ve played a few times since then. Now I love golf and have a direct relationship with our COO. And it’s all because Will pushed me to do stuff like that during our monthly meetings.”

According to studies by Gallup, college graduates are two times more likely to be engaged at work if they had an encouraging mentor. Alongside faculty, staff, and peer mentors, alumni mentors play an important role in helping

students achieve meaningful lives and productive careers. That’s why in 2017, Rollins launched Career Champions, which has since paired 250 students like Johnson with alumni working in their field of interest.

“We do personal matching as part of Career Champions, and we’ve had several success stories of students getting jobs and internships as a result of the program,” says Cheyenne Morman, who manages the program as assistant director of career exploration in the Center for Career & Life Planning. “But we also have plenty of students who report that their mentor helped with things like the job application process, served as a reference, gave them life advice, and generally were available to answer questions. That’s really what we hope students are able to get out of the experience.”

The program has been such a success that the College has since expanded alumni mentor opportunities to include Women in Finance, which helps female students secure internships and explore career pathways in the finance sector, and the Share the Light campaign, which was launched in response to the pandemic’s devastating impact on career opportunities for graduating seniors.

All provide important forms of philanthropy and engagement—and one more way alumni can give back to their alma mater by sharing career and life advice that helps bolster the chances of personal and professional success for fellow Tars.

You never know where a little direction will lead. George suggested I read a specific book, and I referenced that book when I wrote my personal statement in applying to law school. I’m sure it was a significant factor in earning the scholarship from New York School of Law.

— Mariam Tabrez ’18

Take Direction

Mariam Tabrez ’18 was paired with George Sciarrino ’07 as part of the Career Champions program’s initial cohort. Sciarrino’s guidance led Tabrez to a full-ride scholarship to attend his alma mater, New York School of Law. Through their monthly mentorship sessions, Tabrez zeroed in on intellectual property law as her focus. After completing her JD, she added a master’s in intellectual property and information technology, which led to her current role as a product security strategy lead at Meta.

The work we do is all about relationships. By way of her actions rather than actual advice, my mentor has taught me the importance of forging meaningful business relationships—and how putting the person ahead of professional interests is key to the depth and longevity of those connections.

— Jamie Ngo ’18

Prioritize Relationships

Jamie Ngo ’18 initiated a meetup with Pat Loret de Mola ’78 ’80MBA her senior year when de Mola was in town for Alumni Weekend. The two bonded over similar upbringings, and Ngo credits de Mola, a serial entrepreneur with a long career on Wall Street, for opening doors in the finance industry. Ngo is now the youngest vice president in the history of Asante Capital, where she advises on capital-raising solutions for sponsors and depends on the relationships she’s built with some of the largest institutional investors around the globe.

Be True to Yourself

Elijah Noel ’20 was paired with Kirk Nalley ’93 ’01MBA as part of the Career Champions program. Today, Noel works in the hospitality industry, most recently accepting a role in food and beverage operations at The Alfond Inn as the hotel revs up for its expansion. He also serves as an appointed official for the City of Winter Park and a board member for the Salvation Army, Boys & Girls Club of America, and Mead Botanical Garden. Noel credits Nalley, a regional vice president at the cloud-software company 3CLogic, for teaching him about authenticity, a trait he considers critical for everything from staffing, promotions, and hiring vendors in the hospitality industry to making informed financial decisions for cities and nonprofits alike.

One of the best pieces of advice Kirk gave me was not to sacrifice myself, my morals, or my values for any goal. Trusting your conscience, your heart, and leaning on the ‘board of life governors’ will take you where you want to be.

— Elijah Noel ’20

I had started a pressure washing company when I was in high school and was excited to be paired with Will because I thought he’d help me sell it. Instead, he made me realize I wanted to keep it. But also that I couldn’t do everything by myself—school, my business, and starting a career—and that I didn’t have to. He really taught me that if I wanted to grow and scale, I had to let go of some things.

— Nick Johnson

’20

Let Go to Grow

Nick Johnson ’20 put the advice he received from William Moore ’99—serial entrepreneur and cofounder of Doorstep Delivery—into action by turning over control of his pressure-washing company to his brother, who could manage day-to-day operations while Johnson focused on school and building a career. He credits that mindset for guiding him today in his role as a global sales manager at Prometric, remembering that as a manager he doesn’t have to do everything. Instead, he needs to find the right people to take over what no longer makes sense for him to do, so he can stay focused on taking his team and work to the next level.

The biggest piece of advice I received from Cameron is to become an expert. Confidence can get you only so far, but at the end of the day, you have to have your facts right. Knowledge makes it easier to command a room—and harder for people to discredit you or brush you off.

— Stephanie Block ’22

Become the Expert

As part of the Women in Finance program, Stephanie Block ’22 met Cameron Dawson ’10 ’12MBA in New York City during a site visit to Fieldpoint Private, where Dawson was chief market strategist. Block now works as a risk management associate at Macquarie Group, and she’s taken Dawson’s advice to heart by spending her free time studying Securities and Exchange Commission rules, which govern the work she does in compliance. And it’s paid off. Block recently used a law she read to successfully inform a change in tactics for a transaction her boss was leading.

Don’t Sell Yourself Short

When Jacob Battad ’18 started at Rollins, he thought he wanted to become an engineer but kept his physics major even when he realized that wasn’t the right path for him. With the advice and mentorship of Jeff Tabatabai ’01, executive vice president at Hill Dermaceuticals, he was able to apply the knowledge he gained at Rollins to land a job as an IT specialist at Darden, where he went on to build on that and other experiences in digital marketing. Today, Battad is a customer engagement manager for strategy, planning, and integration at Disney.

I had this very niche degree in physics and didn’t know what I wanted to do at the time. Jeff showed me how my studies and all the experiences I had would translate to different jobs. He was super helpful in building my confidence so I could sell myself to different employers.

— Jacob Battad ’18

BY THE NUMBERS

Six years after launching, the Career Champions program is celebrating with some pretty impressive results, delivering on its promise to forge meaningful connections between students and alumni and increase graduates’ opportunities for success after Rollins.

250 Total number of mentor-mentee pairings

98% Percentage of mentors and mentees who would recommend Career Champions to a peer

214 Alumni mentors

4 in 5 Student mentees landed, identified, or learned about an opportunity with help from the program

Embrace Uncertainty

Ingrid Ryan ’24 was paired with Julia Clancy ’15, then a producer for CNN’s Inside Politics with John King, through the Career Champions program. The English major and political science minor used Clancy’s advice of exploring her options to become the first Tar to be selected for the Leadership Alliance’s prestigious Summer Research Early Identification Program. As part of the program, Ryan spent the past summer working alongside political scientist Robert Shapiro at Columbia University conducting research on conflicting American public opinion regarding the impeachments of Richard Nixon and Donald Trump. She credits Clancy with expanding her career options to include becoming a political journalist or professor of political science.

I tend to stress about not knowing what my future career will look like. Julia emphasized learning to sit with career anxiety and uncertainty while exploring every possible career opportunity as an undergrad.

— Ingrid Ryan ’24

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

By bolstering student success, alumni volunteerism is among the most impactful forms of philanthropy Rollins can receive. Explore a few of the ways you can serve as a mentor to students and then visit rollins.college/volunteer to learn more

Career Champions

Meet monthly with a mentee who shares similar professional interests as your area of expertise during this selective, yearlong mentoring program.

Champion in Residence

Spend a day at Rollins sharing industry insights and best practices in everything from large-scale speaking engagements and class visits to one-on-one interviews.

Chat With a Champ

Serve on a panel on campus, speak to a class, or host brief one-on-one informational interviews either in person or virtually.

Day With a Champ

Host students for a daylong shadowing experience at your place of work and maximize their exposure to professional topics, concepts, and best practices in your industry.

Women in Finance

Serve as a mentor, share internship opportunities, or host a site visit at your place of business for female students interested in the finance industry.

Internships and Jobs

Share professional opportunities for Rollins students at your place of business or by connecting current Tars with your expanded network.

Places of PURPOSE

By Rob Humphreys ’16MBA | Photos by Scott Cook

It’s tempting to think of capital investments solely in terms of brick and mortar—state-ofthe-art buildings transforming the campus landscape—but outward appearances only scratch the surface.

Peek inside Kathleen W. Rollins Hall, Bush Science Center, Lakeside Neighborhood, and the soon-to-be newly expanded Alfond Inn, and their true return lies squarely in the human element. These buildings, made possible by Rollins’ Brighter Together campaign, are creating opportunities for students like Francisco Wang ’22 to

open doors to innovative, lifechanging programming and experiences that will carry them well into the future.

An international business major, Wang received a full scholarship generated by proceeds from The Alfond Inn, conducted groundbreaking research alongside his faculty mentor in Bush Science Center, served as head designer of The Sandspur in Kathleen W. Rollins Hall, and thrived while living in Lakeside Neighborhood, the College’s newest residential facility designed around health, wellness, and community.

Wang is now working toward a master’s of philosophy in strategy, marketing, and operations at the University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School. And for every story like his, there are many others, all made possible by your shared dedication to the future of Rollins through this historic campaign.

“We have invested in this beautiful campus for one reason, and that is to advance our educational mission,” says President Grant Cornwell. “New facilities are beautiful and exciting, but their real impact is on the learning they foster.”

From the co-location of our signature programs to the reimagining of the residential experience, Rollins is building on more than 100 years of liberal arts traditions to create a 21st-century campus centered on the student experience.

KATHLEEN W. ROLLINS HALL

Open the doors to Rollins’ headquarters of applied learning, and you’ll find Tars putting their liberal arts education into action at every turn.

As the headquarters of applied learning, Kathleen W. Rollins Hall has brought together 10 signature programs and co-located them at the center of campus. Opened in January 2020 with a $10 million gift from Trustee Kathleen W. Rollins ’75,

the space empowers students to put their education to work outside the classroom—a core tenet of the Rollins experience. During the 2021-22 academic year, Rollins Hall hosted 812 programs, events and academic courses, including 49 classes

offered across multiple disciplines. The facility has also allowed for the development of closer relationships between faculty and staff, which, in turn, create more opportunities for students. Say a student comes in for an advising appointment and the conversation

turns to study abroad. The professor can then walk them two dozen or so steps over to the Office of International Programs to find a program that aligns with their academic interests and career goals.

“Assembling all this under one roof has made a tremendous impact on how we reach students and work across areas of the institution,” says Micki Meyer, Lord Family Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs for Engagement. “It helps our students better engage with our mission and make meaning of their liberal arts education.”

Career Capital

The Center for Career & Life Planning (CCLP) is a onestop shop for everything from internship placement through campaign-funded programs like Gateway Fellows to the Career Studio, a dynamic space for one-on-one career advice that includes connecting majors to future goals and prepping for job interviews. This past year, CCLP reached students through more than 4,000 appointments, drop-

ins, and outreach, a 40 percent increase over the previous year.

Upwardly Global

With global citizenship built into our mission, it’s no surprise Rollins has one of the nation’s highest percentages of students who study abroad. The Office of International Programs facilitates over 90 study abroad programs— from studying business in France to installing water filters in the Dominican Republic—and student appointments for fall 2022 increased by 45 percent since the office moved into Kathleen W. Rollins Hall.

Life is for Service

From Winter Park to Washington State, the Center for Leadership & Community Engagement (CLCE) provides hands-on service learning experiences that connect the classroom with the outside world. From programs like Bonner Leaders and Immersion to civic-minded initiatives like the Democracy Project, CLCE helps Tars engage issues facing communities in our backyard and around the globe.

Meaningful Mentorship

From the Office of Business

Advising to the Office of External Fellowships & Scholarships, access to faculty, staff, and alumni mentors is just a step away. Students receive robust guidance on competitive awards such as the Fulbright Scholarship and have the opportunity to participate in advising programs like Women in Finance, which is helping close the gender gap in the financial field by connecting female students with industry mentors, internships, and long-term career prospects.

Being the Change

In 2013, Rollins’ social entrepreneurship major became the world’s first to be accredited by AACSB International, the highest standard for global business education. Fast-forward 10 years, and this department has produced changemaking graduates in everything from environmental policy to social justice. The adjacent Social Impact Hub provides resources and support for Tars as they create innovative, sustainable solutions to society’s biggest challenges.

LAKESIDE NEIGHBORHOOD

Whether it’s grabbing a snack from the C-store between classes, settling in for a group study session, or making dinner with friends, the halls of Lakeside are alive with a new way of living and learning.

Gleaming from the shores of Lake Virginia, Rollins’ newest residential complex is a living-learning community designed around health and wellness that houses 502 students and provides dozens of communal areas for anyone on campus.

“It’s probably the best lakefront property in Winter Park,” says Papaa Kodzi ’21 ’23MBA, who served as an RA

and is now the graduate hall director. “My favorite amenity is the gym and movement studio, and the Fox Lodge Grill is also so convenient for a late-night snack or lunch by the pool. Lakeside has plenty of spaces to buckle down and study as well as relax and unwind. It’s truly the best of both worlds.”

Thanks in large part to Lakeside, nearly 71 percent of

College of Liberal Arts students now live on campus, compared to 55 percent in fall 2019—a testament to how we’re continuing to revolutionize the way students live, learn, and engage with the world around them.

Healthy Habits

A state-of-the-art fitness center and movement studio keep Tars fit, while an expanded C-Store, grill, and cafe keep them fueled

up with everything from healthy snacks and groceries to Fair Trade coffee and fresh-pressed juice. At the center of it all, a large courtyard pool offers ample space for group study sessions or relaxing after exams.

Living and Learning

The Office of Residential Life & Explorations has found a new home in Lakeside, meaning more opportunities for organic

interaction with residents and other students who visit. Learning everyday skills associated with independent living—think virtual culinary classes or help with finding an apartment after college—are baked into the mix.

Building Community

The Center for Inclusion & Belonging helps students of all backgrounds find their fit at Rollins, while the Lucy Cross Center for Women, Gender, & Sexuality provides a comfortable, inclusive space for engaging in open dialogue and promoting social justice. Both

are now conveniently located in Lakeside Neighborhood, making it easier than ever for students to collaborate and forge meaningful connections.

The Perfect Balance

Lakeside’s four-bed/four-bath, apartment-style suites deliver the best in both independent and communal living. Students benefit from private bedrooms and bathrooms while having seamless access to common areas like the living room, dining room, and full kitchen, where the multifunctional island is ideal for hitting the books or preparing a healthy meal.

BUSH SCIENCE CENTER

One glance into the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of this learning laboratory reveals students and faculty hard at work conducting original research, making discoveries, and collaborating across the STEM fields.

Adecade after its expansion and renovation, the LEEDcertified Bush Science Center is delivering on investments that support academic scholarships, student-faculty research, and

general academic excellence in everything from math and computer science to physics and chemistry. At the core of this space is an unyielding commitment to finding innovative

solutions to real-world problems and advancing human knowledge.

“The Bush Science Center has transformed the way we teach,” says physics professor Thom Moore, who has taught

at Rollins for nearly 25 years. “The interdisciplinary nature of the building combined with state-of-the-art equipment gives our students incomparable opportunities, whether that’s industry jobs after graduation or the best graduate schools.”

How the World Works

Moore has worked alongside more than 25 students in Bush’s anechoic chamber to study the physics of musical instruments, with an emphasis on applying laser technology to investigate acoustical phenomena. It’s the reason Eric Rokni ’18 will graduate this summer from Penn State with a PhD in acoustics. “The skills and inquisitiveness I gained while working with Dr. Moore have helped me immensely,” he says. “I was able to combine my passions for music and physics, publish two papers, and present at a national conference all as an undergrad.”

The Makeup of Matter

Ant Man has nothing on chemistry professor Ellane Park, whose courses include quantumly small

subjects such as chemistry of the nanoworld and nanotechnology. Through Rollins’ Student-Faculty Collaborative Scholarship Program, she works with students like Julian Grundler ’18 to research gold nanoparticles as vehicles for drug delivery—and oftentimes helps them find their passion along the way. Grundler went on to conduct research at MIT alongside Park and is now a materials chemistry PhD candidate at Yale.

Beyond the Numbers Mathematics professor Zeynep Teymuroglu and co-collaborator

Joanna Wares from the University of Richmond recently earned a competitive grant from the Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics to work with students on opioid research. The project is aimed at examining mathematical models of opioid use and disease spread, with the goal of informing policy decisions around the country. It’s this kind of need for datainformed decision-making that led to Rollins launching a new minor in data analytics.

Trailblazing Techies

Liberal arts and computer science might seem a strange academic synthesis, but not at Rollins. Studying computer science through the lens of the liberal arts—with the opportunity to apply technical skills to realworld challenges—has set up recent grads to land roles at some of the world’s largest tech companies, including Amazon, Apple, Electronic Arts, Google, and Lockheed Martin.

The Science of Life

Since childhood, Marissa Cobuzio ’19 has been fascinated by animals. With mentoring from biology professor Jay Pieczynski, she’s now a thirdyear vet student at Cornell who has raised five volunteer service dogs and is set to become a vet in the U.S. Army. Looking ahead, students like Cobuzio will get even more opportunities to make an impact as undergraduate science students thanks to a recent $850,000 gift from Gene Albrecht ’69 that supports collaborative research in organismal biology.

THE ALFOND INN EXPANSION

In a stately setting flanked by thoughtprovoking contemporary art, visitors to Winter Park are making a Rollins education possible for the next generation of top scholars.

Since opening in 2013, the critically acclaimed Alfond Inn has contributed $16.7 million in profits toward the Alfond Scholars endowment, helping approximately seven standout students per year attain full-ride academic scholarships to Rollins. Now, with a 71-room expansion set to debut this summer, Florida’s premier hotel (as ranked

by readers of Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure) is projected to generate $40 million toward scholarships between 2024 and 2033. About half of this money will be used to double the number of Alfond Scholars, while the other half will be directed toward student-athlete scholarships.

Supporting Students

The Alfond Inn’s financial support

of Rollins’ superior scholars offers a pathway to prestigious opportunities. Just ask Katrina Zdanowicz ’16, a double major in international business and environmental studies who earned a master’s in public health at George Washington University before landing at Gartner and now Deloitte as a senior consultant. Or philosophy major

Isabella Braga ’20, who won a Fulbright Scholarship and is teaching English in South Korea. Or economics and international relations double major Charles Mahoney ’21, a Wallace Fellow at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A New Canvas

Longtime donors and alumni

Barbara ’68 ’18H and Ted Alfond ’68 ’18H have left their mark across every corner of campus, but nowhere is their philanthropy—and keen artistic eye—more evident than in the public areas of their namesake boutique hotel. At this time, 112

pieces of The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art feature prominently throughout the hotel, and the second phase will provide even more space to showcase works currently in storage.

Next-Level Luxury

Among the inn’s new features are a light-filled lobby cafe that doubles as a beer-and-wine bar in the evenings, a swimming pool with private cabanas, an additional 2,400 square feet of meeting space, and a new spa that includes seven treatment rooms, a sauna, and fitness area. Collectively, this suite of upgrades

is sure to draw more travelers to Winter Park, generating more financial aid for Rollins’ most accomplished students.

Educational Extension

The Alfond Inn’s art collection is an extension of the area’s only teaching museum, the Rollins Museum of Art, which will soon be relocated across the street as part of the Innovation Triangle—a hub of art, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy. Expanding the hotel will increase opportunities for it to serve as a classroom for students and the community, integrating art learning into daily life.

By Laura Cole ’04 ’08MLS | Photos by Scott Cook

Five months after our nation’s Founding Fathers adopted the Declaration of Independence, a small group of college students gathered in Colonial Williamsburg to create a society dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. They named the society Phi Beta Kappa and distributed to each member a silver square medal with the initials PBK—the Greek initials for a phrase that translates to “philosophy, or love of wisdom, the guide to life”—and an index finger pointing to three stars.

Nearly two centuries later, in March of last year, 19 Rollins students became the first in the College’s history to receive the selective keys. Among the College’s first cohort are Evangelina Wong ’22, a master’s candidate in medical physics at Duke University; Maria Morales ’22, a technology analyst at Wells Fargo; and Edward Broker ’22, a PhD candidate in chemistry at Texas A&M.

The cohort joined a storied history that includes 17 U.S. presidents, 42 U.S. Supreme Court judges, and more than 150 Nobel laureates. But the keys signify more than the members’ commitment to being guided by wisdom. They represent the quality of education and dedication of the faculty at the less than 10 percent of institutions that have been elected to have a campus chapter.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” says political science professor Donald Davison, who led the application committee. “There are fewer than 300 academic institutions in the world that have been granted a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, which makes it a selective, prestigious academic achievement that the overwhelming majority of institutions cannot reach.”

To become a member, institutions must submit a preliminary application. If the committee accepts the application, they’re invited to submit a general application and undergo three rigorous review processes that scrutinize every function of the college and the quality of its faculty—by examining everything from their syllabi to their credentials and publications.

“Our innovative curriculum and faculty are characteristics that are in tandem with receiving a Phi Beta Kappa chapter,” says Davison. “They are manifestations of a faculty who is thoroughly engaged in delivering the best liberal arts instruction, who are engaged in their disciplines by presenting their research. Both are important for the instructional quality that we deliver to our students and what PBK acknowledged by establishing a chapter at Rollins.”

In many ways, the PBK chapter is a culmination of—and recognition for—much of what Rollins set out to achieve with the Brighter Together campaign: to advance our innovative educational model to its fullest potential; to invest in the people, programs, and places that prepare our graduates to succeed personally and professionally; and to empower our students and graduates to even greater impact in the classroom, in our community, on the job, and in the world.

Here we celebrate a selection of standout accomplishments of our students, faculty, and the College itself that—thanks to the generous support of donors—illuminate just how much brighter our community has become.

From competitive grants and awards earned by faculty and students to prestigious institutional recognition, we celebrate the many accomplishments made possible by the collective impact of the Brighter Together campaign.

ELEVATING THE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

Whether in the classroom or farther afield, Rollins continually strives to strengthen the undergraduate experience for students and prepare graduates for productive careers. Over the past 10 years, our collective effort has garnered recognition in the form of rankings for everything from transfer student programs and alternative breaks to the quality of our academics and teaching as well as membership in some of the most esteemed organizations.

Top 10 in the Nation for Study Abroad

Nearly 75 percent of Rollins students study abroad at least once during their college experience, leading the Institute of International Education to regularly rank the College among the country’s top 10 institutions for the percentage of students who participate in an international program. Rollins has held the title for four consecutive years and has been included in the top 12 for eight, cementing the tenet of global citizenship firmly in the core of our mission.

“Rollins allowed me to spend six weeks in Indonesia and study in France, Singapore, Taiwan, even the Everglades,” says Isaac Gorres ’21, a graduate student in environmental microbiology at Radboud University in the Netherlands. “Without those experiences, I wouldn’t have been prepared to live outside the U.S. for grad school.”

No. 1 Regional University in the South

Rollins beat 134 colleges and universities for the top spot in the region, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings guide. The 2023 rankings marked the 27th consecutive year that Rollins has ranked among the top two spots—and the top school in Florida—in the category.

National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges Scholars Program

In 2019, a decade after the program first launched across the nation, Rollins became the only member school to offer the multi-year, research-based program that doesn’t offer a four-year degree in engineering. The College focuses on how the skills taught across the general curriculum enable Rollins students to address challenges and opportunities facing humanity in the 21st century.

Commitment to Undergraduate Teaching

Rollins’ 11:1 student-faculty ratio and average class size of 17 allow faculty to teach in a method that’s best suited to the material and to help steer students’ success as they pursue their purpose. U.S. News & World Report recognized that strength by twice placing Rollins in the No. 1 spot for its commitment to teaching undergraduates and regularly including the College among the top schools in the category.

“At Rollins, I was able to build close relationships with faculty, which is really unprecedented at other universities,” says Jacqueline Bengtson ’22, a Fulbright Student who’s currently teaching English in Nepal. “My professors continue to help me navigate who I am.”

ADVANCING KNOWLEDGE

Over the past decade, the number of awards and grants Rollins faculty received have increased by 140 percent, signifying the innovative research and creative contributions that are positively impacting the College, our planet, and our local and global communities.

“In the past year alone, faculty have published some 270 papers, books, and creative works, and collectively they have been on grants totaling over $5 million just in the sciences,” says Susan Singer, vice president for academic affairs and provost. “At some places, that’s isolated from the classroom experience. Not at Rollins. The prestigious grants and awards our faculty have received not only reflect their expertise but enhance the deep and rigorous nature of the courses they teach.”

Expanding Knowledge of the Human Body

Biology professor Bobby Fokidis earned two National Science Foundation grants, the most recent to study exosomes and their role in the initiation of steroid hormone production, which is observed in biological processes like prostate cancer and menopause.

Reducing Opioid Overdoses

Math professor Zeynep Teymuroglu and University of Richmond co-collaborator Joanna Wares received a grant from the Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics to fuel student-faculty research that will convert mathematical models into interventions to reduce fatal overdoses from opioids, lower transmission rates, and reduce litter from usage.

Preventing HIV

Anthropology professor Shan-Estelle Brown received a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health with Yale University and the Center for Interdisciplinary Research to power an educational text-messaging campaign to increase the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for those at risk of contracting HIV.

Fostering Inclusive STEM Education

Rollins’ STEM faculty—led by chemistry professor Kasandra Riley—earned a $529,000 Inclusive Excellence grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, making the College one of just 104 institutions across the nation to be recognized for its plan to build a more equitable future for burgeoning scientists from historically underrepresented populations.

Addressing Climate Change

Physics professor Samantha Fonseca dos Santos received an award from the Thomas Jefferson Fund to examine the destruction of nitrogen oxide molecules by electron collision, which could help reduce air pollution caused by engine exhaust and industrial combustion.

Studying Musical Acoustics

Physics professor Thom Moore has received five grants from the National Science Foundation’s Research in Undergraduate Institutions program to fund research projects with students, using his anechoic chamber to examine the acoustics of wind instruments.

Fueling Student Success

Boren. Goldwater. Payne. Truman. These names represent the most coveted grants and scholarships undergraduate students can receive, and applying for and receiving these awards takes dedication, discipline, and a high level of academic preparation. Since 2013, Rollins students have received 66 such awards, providing funding for everything from attending leadership conferences to pursuing study abroad experiences, research opportunities, and graduate school.

“Participation in this process demonstrates our students’ preparedness to compete on a national and international level with some of the top students around the globe,” says Danielle Abdon, fellowships advisor for Rollins’ Office of External Fellowships & Scholarships. “These competitive awards open up pathways for our grads to pursue career goals free of financial roadblocks.”

THE CONSERVATIONIST

Isaac Gorres ’21 was awarded a Goldwater Scholarship—the nation’s preeminent award in the field of mathematics, engineering, and the natural sciences—to conduct undergraduate research aimed at helping museums employ cost-effective measures to identify pigment molecules in paint. Today, the biochemistry/molecular biology and art history double major is a graduate student in environmental microbiology at Radboud University in the Netherlands.

THE SOCIOLOGIST

My work with Dr. [Amy] Armenia is what led me to pursue a PhD in sociology. We were published together in early 2021, and our work inspired me to get involved with the Student Support Foundation on campus. I’m excited to expand my research in graduate school, and the NSF grant will help fund my project.

THE ADVOCATE

First-generation college student Wyatt Deihl ’21 earned a Truman Scholarship, the nation’s foremost award for those seeking to make a difference in public policy. The self-designed major in health, medicine, and society is now pursuing a master’s of public health at Yale University and hopes to pursue a law degree before becoming a public interest attorney or running for public office.

International relations major Kate Knight ’19 earned the esteemed Payne Fellowship— the premier graduate award for those who want to work in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). She is in her final semester at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, where she’s working toward a master’s degree in humanitarian policy with a specialization in conflict resolution and the Middle East region.

THE ANALYST

Valedictorian and sociology

major Emily Curran ’22 was awarded a grant for graduate school as part of the National Science Foundation’s prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship Program. She is using the fellowship to pursue a PhD in sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, where her research focuses on gender, work, and family.

THE DIPLOMAT

My ultimate goal has always been to join the Foreign Service. I took Middle East Culture with Rachel Newcomb early on at Rollins, and that inspired me to focus on learning Arabic and to study abroad in Jordan.

Karina Barbesino ’19 earned a Boren Scholarship—a prestigious award for students who intend to pursue careers in federal national security— to expand her studies of the Mandarin language. The double major in international relations and Asian studies went on to work for a think-tank in Washington, D.C. and serve as a research assistant at Harvard before landing her current role as a senior consultant for global firm Booz Allen Hamilton.

EMBODYING GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

More than seven decades ago, Shirley Christensen Howard ’51 became the first person at Rollins to earn a Fulbright scholarship. Since then, 30 faculty members and 87 students have won the prestigious award to teach English or conduct research on every continent except Antarctica, studying everything from international security to collaborative religion. And of the 117 Fulbright awards distributed to Tars since 1951, nearly half have been received in the past decade alone. Rollins is consistently recognized as a top producer of Fulbright Students—a testament to the College’s mission to create responsible citizens of the world.

Rollins was a huge stepping stone for me in going from my small town that no one seemed to leave to getting out into the world and having incredible opportunities, such as getting a Fulbright so I could study creative writing at one of the top universities in the world.

Fulbright Student Katie Pearce ’19, an English major, earned a master’s of letters in creative writing from the University of Glasgow while working remotely for the Florida Veterinary Medical Association, where she continues to serve as a senior creative lead.

WHERE OUR GRADS GO

Rollins graduates are leveraging the skills, knowledge, and experiences gained at Rollins to land jobs and pursue graduate school at the top organizations and universities in the world.

THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES

Kate Hendrix ’15 earned a bachelor’s in philosophy from Rollins and a JD from Harvard before landing a role as staff attorney for the animal protection and welfare organization.

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

Arden Baxter ’18 is putting her mathematics and computer science majors to use as a CDC Prevention Effectiveness Fellow in the analytics and modeling track.

AMAZON

Nicholas Bowers ’14 majored in physics and has held several senior product manager roles at the online retail behemoth, including for Search Customer Experience, Alexa Shopping, and Amazon’s Choice.

“Amazon is like Rollins in a way. Curiosity is what drives a company like Amazon. We’re changing the concept of retail, delivery, even the checkout process. I love that.”

Apple

After majoring in computer science and completing an internship at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Michael Gutensohn ’18 is now a senior AR/VR software engineer at the tech giant.

LOCKHEED MARTIN

Ayanna Mattis ’20 ’22MBA completed Rollins’ 3/2 Accelerated Management Program, majoring in international business and earning an MBA, before becoming a human resources operations analyst for the defense contractor.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Skylar Knight ’19 leveraged double majors in political science and philosophy to land a role as a program analyst and Presidential Management Fellow with the federal government.

META

Meghan Wallace ’17 majored in international relations, global health, and economics and now guides global community standards as the content policy associate manager for the social media conglomerate.

HARVARD & SMITHSONIAN

Art history and critical media and cultural studies double major Rebecca Charbonneau ’16 is the historian-in-residence for the dual institution’s Center for Astrophysics as well as a Jansky Fellow for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

“If my professor, Dr. Kim Dennis, hadn’t encouraged me to study abroad and go to Rome, I wouldn’t have visited the Museo Galileo, which is a history-of-astronomy museum, and realized that I could combine my passions for astronomy and history into a career.”

CONNECT

The official social and professional networking platform for Rollins alumni

Strengthen your connection to your alma mater and the global Rollins alumni network with RollinsConnect, the College’s official social and professional networking platform. Reconnect with classmates and forge new friendships and professional partnerships via RollinsConnect’s directory of more than 40,000 alumni. Discover opportunities to share your time, connections, and expertise with Rollins students. Be the first to know about upcoming events and so much more.

March 23-26, 2023

Reunite with fellow Tars for the largest alumni celebration of the year. Discover new campus additions and programs. Ignite your alumni pride by experiencing time-honored events like The Grove Party, Alumni Dinner, and more.

from all classes are invited to attend.

Scan or visit rollins.edu/alumni-weekend to register and explore this year’s schedule.

Thanks for SHARING THE LOVE.

Thank you for all the love you shared this Valentine’s Day. On Rollins Giving Day 2023, you showed your love for everything from the arts to athletics and for everyone from first-generation students to lifelong learners. Your generous support will be felt by Rollins students all year long and will resonate throughout every corner of campus.

Scan or visit rollins.college/ givingday to explore all of the ways donors expressed their affection for Rollins and our students this Giving Day.

Investing in Connections

The Rollins Office of Alumni Engagement is excited to share the new Alumni Engagement Strategic Plan. The plan is rooted in the Alumni Attitudinal Survey, which was conducted during summer 2021 through a series of one-on-one meetings with trustees and Alumni Advisory Board members; three generational focus groups of alumni volunteers and donors; and an anonymous survey offered to all College of Liberal Arts alumni. The fiveyear plan was developed by a 19-member Alumni Engagement Strategic Task Force with representatives from key stakeholder groups and comprises dozens of initiatives organized around three priorities: early engagement, professional development and personal enrichment, and community building.

Scan or visit rollins.college/alumni-plan to learn more about the future of alumni engagement at Rollins.

CLASS NEWS

Across the Arts

Peg O’Keef ’81 recently joined the official Marvel Universe as Runa, a shapeshifting Light Elf who’s not only appearing on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law—now streaming on Disney+—but also has a Lego action figure in her likeness.

Gatherings & Milestones

Almost 50 years after graduating, Don Best ’74 reconnected with emeritus history professor Barry Levis while taking a course on Edward VIII at the Main Line School Night in Radnor, Pennsylvania.

Suellen Fagin-Allen ’74 ’04MA and her husband, Robert, celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary in October with a trip to Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

John Baker ’87 hosted an alumni gathering and memorial celebration during Alumni Weekend 2022 in which he dedicated a named bench in memory of two TKE fraternity brothers, Richard M. Burger ’85 and Thomas R. McDonnell ’87

Jennifer Grant McArtor ’99 recently launched a private practice while continuing her work as a psychotherapist at the University of Virginia.

Kristin Dolson Hinrichs ’06 welcomed a baby girl, Holly Wren, on 1/25/22.

Paul Beuttenmuller ’10 ’11MBA and his wife, Erin, welcomed their first child, Piper Ann, into the world on 6/8/22.

Sarah Spurling-Hughes ’12 recently graduated from the University at Buffalo SUNY with a master’s in social work.

Saabira Mohamed Houseknecht ’14 ’15MBA welcomed a daughter, Shai Ann, to the world on 7/20/22, in Winter Park.

Tocarra Mallard ’10 was nominated for an Emmy Award in the “Comedy/Variety Talk Series” category for her work as a writer on The Problem with Jon Stewart She is currently working on season two while contributing to the series’ podcast.

Lisa-Marie Matyas Steinmeyer ’14 performed as a spoken-word poet and served as a judge for poetry slam and haiku competitions for the 2022 Fusion Fest at Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

At the Estate on the Halifax in Port Orange, Florida, Meredith Lax Richardson ’15 ’16MBA married fellow Tar Ken Richardson ’15MBA on 5/21/22. The couple met while attending Rollins’ Crummer Graduate School of Business and now live in Lake Mary, Florida.

Alexa Hardrick King ’17 and her husband, Dylan, welcomed their second child, Milena Kathryn, on 11/9/22.

Karina Barbesino ’19 and Julian Grundler ’18 got married in an intimate city hall ceremony in New Haven, Connecticut, on 11/28/22. The couple met in a computer science course at Rollins.

Nick Bazo ’02 returned to the Annie Russell Theatre to direct the fall production of Water by the Spoonful during the theatre’s landmark 90th season. Bazo was joined by fellow Tar Jake (Peter) Ruiz ’15, who acted as guest dramaturg.

Honor Roll

Richard Woltmann ’66 received the Florida Bar Foundation’s 2022 Jane Elizabeth Curran Distinguished Service Award in June for “his four decades of being a staunch advocate and effectuating positive lasting change for communities and underserved individuals.”

Mike Davino ’77 was recently elected to the Red Bank Catholic Athletic Hall of Fame for his contributions as a golfer, which included many championship wins. While at Rollins, he had top 10 finishes in the NCAA golf tournament, earned All-America Honors, and was named the outstanding senior athlete.

Stacy Portner Ritter ’82, president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale, was recently honored as one of South Florida’s 250 Power Leaders by the South Florida Business Journal. She was also inducted into the Broward Education Foundation Alumni Hall of Fame.

A dance teacher at Deerfield High School, Nikki White Lazzaretto ’98 was recently selected for the Illinois Golden Apple Award, receiving a paid sabbatical to further her education and mentor aspiring teachers at Northwestern University.

Leading the Way

For their leadership and commitment to the local community, three Tars have been recognized by the Orlando Business Journal in the publication’s inaugural C-Suite Awards. As chief operating officer of architectural firm Finfrock, Stan Jones ’00MBA leads a team of architects, engineers, and construction professionals as they develop innovative solutions for everything from hotels to multi-unit residential complexes. At XIL Health in the role of vice president of growth and innovation, Alexandra Robertson ’11 ’12MBA works to give businesses what they need to compete in today’s rapidly evolving health-care market. Teresa Sturges ’05MBA serves as chief financial officer of Engineering & Computer Simulations, Inc., where she combines experience in accounting, process improvement, and customer service to ensure that all financial and management processes drive positive results.

Allison Starnes-Anglea ’07, director of career services at Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, was honored in Knoxville, Tennessee’s 2022 “40 Under 40” for making a difference as a community leader through her work and philanthropic efforts.

Wendy J. Roundtree ’16MBA, founder and lead strategist of Jarel Communications, was recently recognized in the Rising Star category at the Women’s Executive Council of Orlando’s annual Women’s Achievement Awards. Her clients include those on the front lines of affordable housing, education, health and wellness, and social justice.

Working toward creating change within the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals of global health, climate action, and equity, Daniella Sykes ’19 attended the International Summit on Psychology and Global Health in Bogota, Colombia, as an emerging leader in the field of psychology. Passionate about destigmatizing mental illness, she currently serves as an associate clinical psychologist and director of membership at the Jamaica Psychological Society in Kingston.

Alumni Award Winners

For the many accomplishments in their careers and communities, the following grads have been selected for the annual Alumni Achievement Awards, which will be presented at Alumni Weekend 2023.

Onward & Upward

In June, Karen Thrun Heyden ’75 served as a soccer referee for the National Special Olympics summer games held at Walt Disney World Resort. She also officiated at the Special Olympics Unified Cup in Detroit, where teams from 20 countries participated.

Ellen McCoy Sharp ’96 accepted a position in January as vice president/assistant general counsel for Fifth Third Bank, where she’ll support middle-market and international commercial lending transactions as well as global supply chain finance.

After 12 years of working for military and patrol manufacturer United States Marine, Inc. and 24 years in the industry, Timothy Hunt ’98 has been appointed as the company’s new president.

Brandy Mitchell ’98 received certification as both a Functional Health Coach and a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) to help support people with chronic illness and autoimmune conditions.

Marcos Stafne ’99 has been named executive director at GallopNYC, a nonprofit dedicated to providing the benefits of therapeutic horsemanship to veterans, seniors, at-risk youth, and those affected by disabilities.

Richard Farrer ’01 is continuing his work in aiding and assisting fellow veterans, their families, and the community by serving through the VFW as the Department of Tennessee chaplain, Southern Conference chaplain, and Stones River Post #12206 commander.

Olivia Demarco ’02 ’15MBA has returned to Rollins as the associate director of advancement communications.

Bryce Pittenger ’87 Fred Rogers Global Citizenship Award

Jeannie Infante Sager ’94 Distinguished Alumni Award

Tori Linder ’14 Recent Alumni Achievement Award

Ann Francis ’01 Alumni Service Award

Edible Education Experience, an Orlando nonprofit empowering students and communities with life skills through seed-to-table experiences, recently appointed Marisa Carroll Worley ’03 as its new executive director.

David Torre ’05 recently started a new position with Pathstone Family Office in Winter Park as the director of wealth planning and family philanthropy.

Kevin Tucker ’05 recently received a promotion to the academic rank of associate professor of chemistry at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where he has been teaching in the chemistry department since 2016.

After serving as a stage manager for Universal Orlando Resort, John Ryan ’06 has been promoted to Universal One Manager, focusing on park operations and quality for Islands of Adventure.

Jessica Van Pelt ’13 was recently promoted to director of advancement at the Art & History Museums of Maitland.

On the Air

In October, Maria Paz Gutierrez ’16, now an associate producer at Radiolab, joined Rollins’ student media director Greg Golden ’11 ’16MBA on an episode of WPRK’s 70th anniversary show. She spoke about everything from hosting her regular segment Daft Chillin’ with Paz to serving as promotions director and station manager, crediting her experience on WPRK as crucial preparation for a career that has included stints at Planet Money and NPR.

This past summer, theatre grad Somar “Suki” Lanh ’14 created a video message on LinkedIn about how she and her creative team were unexpectedly laid off from a startup insurance company. Her video message about the layoff went viral, as did her subsequent story about bouncing back to land an even better job within a month. Lanh—now a senior copywriter for Walgreens—was featured in The Wall Street Journal and also appeared on a broadcast of Good Morning America

Jarrod Reynolds ’15 has accepted a new position at Martin Aquatic Design & Engineering, creating construction documents for aquatic features for clients around the world.

Jamie Ngo ’18 was recently promoted to vice president of Asante Capital Group, a global advisory and private markets placement firm, where she specializes in deal coordination, logistics, distribution, and project management.

Drew Young ’21 was named artistic director and conductor for the Valley Chorale of Front Royal, a choral ensemble that has been singing in the Shenandoah Valley for more than 50 years.

At WPRK, I learned how to maintain calm under pressure while juggling a lot of responsibilities. My time there helped me develop my own voice as a creative person in audio production and journalism and taught me essential skills in management, recruiting, and event planning.

— Maria Paz Gutierrez ’16

In Memory

Liberal Arts Leader

Highly esteemed academic leader Susan Whealler Johnston ’75, chair of Rollins’ Board of Trustees, leaves a legacy of wisdom and compassionate highered leadership, having guided the College throughout the COVID pandemic with steady, clear direction and remarkable results.

Augusta Yust Hume ’39

April 5, 2022

Caroline Sandlin Fullerton ’40

June 18, 2022

Margaret Mandis Caraberis ’46

May 27, 2022

Lois Adams Miller ’47

March 24, 2022

Eleanor Seavey Mischuck ’47

April 9, 2022

Joseph A. Friedman ’49

July 11, 2022

Marilyn Hoffman Harra ’49

April 10, 2022

Barbara Coleman McClanahan ’52

September 11, 2022

Robert M. Buck ’54 ’69MAT

May 14, 2022

Patricia Feise Watson ’56

January 22, 2022

Susan Barclay Wabnitz ’59

February 18, 2022

Charles R. Berger ’61

August 9, 2022

Charles J. McDermott ’61

September 3, 2022

Margaret A. Powell ’61

August 8, 2022

Elias L. Taylor ’62

May 14, 2022

James E. Cooper ’64

July 26, 2022

Sunny Harris Koontz ’65

May 8, 2022

Maurice J. Martin ’65

May 8, 2022

Norma Canelas Roth ’65

April 25, 2022

Donald J. Duncan ’66MAT

August 17, 2022

Michael J. Federline ’66

April 14, 2022

Susan was an astute and experienced leader, admired for her clear thinking, her quiet courage, and her warm heart. She was a role model for so many, including myself: grace, wisdom, professionalism, and humanity, fully embodied.

— Rollins President Grant Cornwell

Lynn G. Lyons ’66MAT

April 24, 2022

Stephen W. Ward ’66

September 27, 2022

John Ursone ’67 ’68MAT

January 13, 2023

Barbara Heckman Lloyd ’68

March 26, 2022

Douglas R. Stroupe ’68

June 26, 2022

William C. Koch ’70

November 1, 2022

William C. Spoone ’70MED

January 2, 2022

Carol A. Wilson ’70 ’82MAT September 4, 2022

Thomas W. McNaney ’71

July 1, 2022

Anton C. Leiter Jr. ’72

July 11, 2022

Paul L. Banfield ’73MAT

May 9, 2022

Henry J. Hopkins ’73

January 12, 2022

Robert Strange ’73

June 7, 2022

Homer E. Gartrell ’75MED

March 23, 2022

Richard A. McKibbin ’75MED ’77EDS

March 12, 2022

Susan Whealler Johnston ’75

August 12, 2022

Billie J. Daily ’77MED

October 15, 2022

Ronald K. Jacobs ’77 ’80MSM May 10, 2022

Lydia Persinski Boye ’77 May 1, 2022

MaryJoan D. Gates ’78MAT July 20, 2022

Charles S. Fuller ’79MSCJ July 20, 2022

Frank A. Harris ’79

July 18, 2022

Champion for Children

Thanks to the passion and philanthropy of Augusta Hume ’39, Rollins’ Hume House Child Development & Student Research Center will continue to enrich the lives of children and create opportunities for research and learning with undergraduate students for generations to come.

William P. Melvin ’79

January 30, 2022

Lucy A. Kynast ’82

April 28, 2022

Francesca M. Landkroon ’83

July 11, 2022

Evelyn V. Davis ’85

August 3, 2022

Amanda Rossbach Jackson ’89

August 31, 2022

Joshua Loring ’90

May 26, 2022

Sean A. Moughan ’93

May 6, 2022

Stephen Easterday ’95

February 5, 2022

Nalita Bheecham ’98

May 13, 2022

Ronald J. Amalong ’99MLS

February 20, 2022

Nicholas M. Mcray ’08

July 23, 2022

CONNECT

STAY IN THE KNOW

You don’t have to wait for the magazine to stay up to date with your classmates. Keep an eye out for our new monthly Class News feature in the FoxFlash newsletter and join RollinsConnect, the new social and professional networking platform for Rollins alumni. rollinsconnect.rollins.edu

For decades, the Humes provided a steady source of donations that enabled us to accomplish so, so much. We could begin to do all of the things that make us a vital part of the Rollins campus.

— Sharon Carnahan Professor of Psychology and Hume House Executive Director

By Rob Humphreys ’16MBA | Photo by Scott Cook

What I’ve Learned: Christopher Russo ’82

It’s hard to fathom in today’s 24/7, sportscrazed media landscape, but there was a time when you couldn’t simply turn on the radio or TV and hear a constellation of voices debating last night’s ball game or the sports topic du jour. Christopher Russo ’82 helped change all of that.

Long dubbed the “Mad Dog” for his animated personality—combined with a voice described as a mix of Jerry Lewis, Archie Bunker, Daffy Duck, and Elmer Fudd—Russo pioneered the two-person sports talk format in 1989 alongside co-host Mike Francesa on WFAN in New York City.

Their Mike and the Mag Dog show, profiled in a 2017 ESPN “30 for 30” documentary, ran for 19 years until Russo joined SiriusXM in 2008 to launch Mad Dog Sports Radio. On TV, Russo hosts MLB Network’s High Heat talk show and regularly appears on ESPN’s First Take, a popular morning show that features another feisty New York native, Stephen A. Smith.

In honor of an illustrious 40-year career— one that traces its roots to calling Rollins play by play on WPRK—Russo was inducted on November 1 into the National Radio Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Chicago.

We recently caught up with the Mad Dog, and he graciously threw us a few bones on lessons learned along the way.

My first big break was when I got a job at WKIS in Orlando. This was the winter of ’84, and a good buddy of mine, Larry Kahn ’82, was the assistant program director there. I did 6 to 8, Monday through Friday. Three years later, I left Orlando for New York and soon joined WFAN, the country’s first sports talk station.

The other break that was huge was the nickname. Bob Raissman from the New York Daily News gave me the nickname “Mad Dog” in the summer of ’87. It gave me an identifiable caricature, and next thing you know it became iconic.

Figuring out how to work with Mike—that was a shotgun marriage and I had to learn how to adapt. For that tandem to be successful, I had to get away from being spoiled and thinking only of myself. I had to see the big picture, and we had a lot of ups and downs.

Sports talk is like a bar, and that’s the way I treat radio. You run the show, you run the forum, but you give fans the outlet. I still do it the old-fashioned way, and fans appreciate that. They’re loud, they’re fickle, they change like the wind. Most importantly, they want their teams to win. And they want to be heard.

I had five or six great teachers at Rollins: Gary Williams, Charles Edmondson, Tom Lairson, Bettina Beer, Barry Levis, and Jack Lane. I was a history major, and they were very important for me. Without them, I don’t know if I’d be here today. They taught me how to think and expand my mind. I was always a huge sports guy and sports historian, but I learned a lot about the world because of them.

Working at WPRK, I learned how to put together a sports channel to cover all the teams. I got phone lines set up in a lot of away gyms and fields to do the ball games. That whetted my appetite, so to speak.

Radio has changed a lot since I started. There are so many different ways to break in now. I tell people you don’t have to go to a broadcasting school. Go get a liberal arts education and get on the air at your college station and see if you like it.

Rollins is great because it’s small. You’re gonna get hands-on discussions with professors. You’re not gonna be in a class where you’ve got to give the professor your Social Security number to get a grade.

Rollins gave me a great liberal arts education. Plus, doing your homework and taking your courses when the weather is good teaches you discipline.

DID YOU KNOW?

You can power everything from career-defining experiences to lifechanging opportunities through gifts to The Rollins Annual Fund. Visit rollins.college/annual-fund to see how your

MAKING OUR BACKYARD BRIGHTER

This past spring, business professor Serina Haddad and a trio of students—Chris Barker ’24, Nicole Kury ’24, and Casey Recci ’22—partnered with a local analytics consultant to create the first Winter Park Prosperity Scorecard, a means of measuring the livability and prosperity of Rollins’ hometown. Through the immersive independent study course, the students honed skills in data visualization and business analytics while building essential experience through their collaboration with the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce.